The China Council for International Cooperation on Environment and Development is a high level, non-official advisory body established by the State Council.
Setting up such a Council was a highly necessary and timely move for China, since the Chinese Government is now actively carrying out the policies of reform and opening -up and working hard to integrate economic development with environmental protection and strengthen international cooperation. The Council will help China find ways to coordinate efforts in environmental protection, economic and social progress, and science and technology, it will promote cooperation on major international environmental issues between China and the world in science, the environment, technology, the economy and trade, and will also enable China to play an important role in minimizing environmental destruction and in solving environmental pollution problems.
1.Exchange of views and preparations for the Council
In October, 1990, the National Environmental Protection Agency and the Development Research Centre of the State Council jointly held the "International Conference on the Integration of Economy and Environment in China", attended by 44 internationally known persons in the field of the environment and development and 45minis tress and vice ministers as well as some well-known experts, At the conference, discussions were held on the major issues concerning China's environment and development and a number of constructive suggestions were made, Among these was the suggestion that an international advisory committee be set up to promote cooperate ion between China and the international community in the realm of the environment and development.
After serious study, the Chinese Government approved the establishment of the China Council for International Cooperation on Environment and Development believing that the establishment will be conducive to the strengthening of international cooperation, to the promotion of China's reform and opening-up and to China's absorption of international funds and technical assistance.
2.The Inaugural Meeting of CCICED
The Inaugural Meeting of the Council was held in April 1992.
a. Composition of the Council
The Chairman of the Council is Dr. Song Jian, state councilor of the State Con cilia, and the Vice-Chairmen are Prof. Qu Geping, administrator of the National Environmental Protection Agency (NEPA), Mr. Gu Ming, Vice-Chairman of the Legal Affairs Commission of the National Propels Congress and Dr. Masse, Secretary in Charge of Federal-Provincial Relations of the Canadian government, former President of the Canadian International Development Agency .The Council, and well-known scholars, the rest are international members, including Sir Crisping Tickell, President of the British Royal Geopraphic Society, Mr., Martin Holdgate, Director -General of IUCN, Mr. Daniel Geopraphic, Chairman of the Executive Committee of Volkswagen AG, Germany ,Mr. John S. Jennings Managing Director of Royal Dutch Shell Companies, Mr. Indonesia and Dr. Thomas Odhiambo, president of the African Academy of Sciences.
b. The Inaugural Meeting
Mr. Wu Xueqian, Vice -Premier of the State Council, presided over the Opening cur Emory and made an important speech. At the meeting, the Chairman and the Vice-Chairmen were elected, and the workreports and procedural rules for the Council were approved. Discussions were also held on investment in environmental protection undertakings in China, on the initial analysis of gains and losses in the environment and on the strategic option pursued by China in the interruption of the economy and environment in China. Consensus was reached on major issues,
After the meeting, Premier Lie Peg met with the international members, listened to the report on the inaugural meeting and made an important speech. He praised the Council, saying that the establishment of the Council would help China draw on the collective wisdom and ideas to make decisions in a scientific and democratic manner, to promote the integration of the environment and development.
C. Suggestions and recommendations
-Promote the new concept that environmental protection is mot a Bu-den on economic development. Problem concerning the environment and development can be solved if we adopt appropriate policies, principles and measures and take full advantage of the role of policies and sciences and technology.
-China should reduce its permit energy consumption while increasing GNP and improving the environment by making use of advanced and appropriate technologies and formulating technological, economic and management policies which promote energy saving and improvement in energy efficiency.
-A resource accounting system which includes environmental re-sources and mechanisms conducive to the reasonable exploitation of natural resources. In addition, China should make full use of and recycle limited resources.
-Improve coordination between policies concerning the environment and development and set up a macro-management mechanism for main-tainting coordinated development in environmental protection.
-Rely on new and high technologies, combining the new and high technologies with traditional agricultural technologies. Protect and improve the Eco-environment in the rural areas to ensure sustainable de-elopement in the rural areas through scientific and rational organization.
3.The Second Meeting of CCICED
The Second Meeting of CCICED was held between 3rd May to 5th May, 1993.
a. A brief account of the meeting
Dr. Song Jian presided over the second meeting, attended by 47meme-bers,both Chinese and otherwise. Also invited to attend the meeting were Mr. Watanabe, former minister of MITI, Japan and Mr. Choi Young Choul, former Vice-Premier of the Republic of Korea as special guests, and representatives from internationally organizations and inter-national financial organizations as observers including UNDP, World Band, Ford Foundation and Rockefeller Foundation.
At the meeting, the interim reports of he Working Groups were ids-cussed and the presentation of the State Science and Technology Commission (SSTC) and the State Planning Commission (SPC) on China's implementation of Agenda21,the presentation n of the National Environ-mental Protection Agency (NEPA)on China's implementation on of the Convention on Biodiversity ,the presentation of the State Meteorological Convention on Biodiversity ,the presentation of the State Meteorological Adamants ration on Climate Change and the presentation of the Ministry of Forestry on the Non-Legally Binding Authoritative Statement Principles for a Global Consensus on the Management ,Conservation and Sustainable Development of all Types of Fore SSTs were delivered. Discussions were also held on substantive issues such as a study of the integration between economic planning and environmental protection the control of desertification and the effect of environmental pollution on health, etc,. At the end of the meeting the suggestions and recommendations of the Council to the Chinese Government were approved.
b. Suggestions and recommendations put forward at the Second Meeting
The participants suggest that as China is deepening its reform and opening-up and increasing its conic development rate, the country should make full use of a variety of means, including governmental ad-minis Tartuffe interference, public involvement, legislation, all types of e-conic policies and scientific advances, to protect the environment.
-China should formulate and implement a sustainable development strategy and make decision based on the environment and development.
-The suggestion implies that scientific, comprehensive and environmental impact assessment is needed on large-sized economic development plans, on regional economic development and development in basin areas as well as on major decisions of the government.
-Due consideration should be given to environmental protection during the resort cutting of industry and the formulation of new industrial policies and an environmental index system for prod-cuts should be gradually established and the environmental industries should enjoy full support and experience rapid development.
-The participants suggest that China should strengthen its environ-mental management under the market economic system. China should also learn from the experience of the developed countries, i.e.: "Rely on the market for economic development b UT on the government for environmental management", as the World Band summed it up. The state should strengthen legislation and law enforcement in environmental protection, set up more standards for pollinated discharge and environmental Quality, improve the index system for environmental protection and formulate core spending economic policies to ensure the necessary investment in the environment and guide and encourage the whole society to protect environment.
-The participants suggest that during the period when the country is shifting from a planned economy to a market economy. China should set up and perfect an economic incentive mechanism for environmental protection, resorting to the law of value and economic means. The economic incentive policies include those on environment taxes, pollutant discharge fees, fines, compensation, trade of pollutant discharge certificates, a system of financial security, low-interest loans, reed citron of and exemption from taxation, favourable depreciation rates, and a reward system.
-Collect environmental compensation according to the principle that use of resources must be paid for.
-Carry out research-on resource accounting, pricing policies and environmental taxation. Experiment with including natural re-sources and the environment into the accounting system of the national economy, so that market prices accurately reflect the environmental losses caused by economic activities.
-The participants suggest that the government should we its power to intervene and practice macro-regulation and control, in order to guarantee the necessary conditions and favorable Eco-Nomi policies for the management of environmental pollution, comprehensive utilization of wastes, nature conservation and other constructive projects obviously in the publics interest.
-Establish an environmental protection foundation and fully ex-polite the role of the funds in environmental protection.
-As enterprises change the way they operate, we should gradually establish a self-governing mechanism, gradually Chang China's traditional careness production methods which waste energy, and change the UN-reasonable distribution of resources to control pollution and protect the environment.
-Rely on scientific and technological advances.
-Encourage enterprises to adopt advanced clean production pro-ceases to eliminate pollution during the process of production, reduce energy and material consumption, save pollution treatment costs, save energy, reduce costs, raise productivity of enterprises.
-Do more to select, evaluate and popularize the best practical tech-neologies for environmental protection and put the practical technologies with economic value on the technology market.
-Gradually establish and expand a system of "GREEN LABELS" for consumer goods.
-Formulate and implement a system for industry and the transport infrastructure to report facilities which should be scrapped and eliminate facilities that consume a lot of energy, produce heavy pollution and per-form poorly.
- Actively work to develop the environmental protection industry and increase environmental awareness, involvement and ability of the pub-lice. It is also suggested that public opinion should be respected on the government's major decisions, large economic development plans, choice of location of big construction project s and in environmental impact assessment, a legal framework and procedures for public involvement should be adopted. The system should encourage people to report on those who cause pollution to the environment, and that protects and rewards the person who reports. All this is for the purpose of bringing into full play the role of public supervision in environmental problems.